I paid my son to run for student council

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I knew he was popular enough to win. He refused . . . until I made him an offer too rich to pass up. He won and he enjoys the leadership role.

I disclosed this to a few parents last night at a cocktail party and they claimed it sends the wrong message.

What's the harm?

The harm is you seem motivated to secure his status. Do you also provide alcohol for him to throw parties?

No.

[Anonymous]

Does your spouse know?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Interesting. Based on your thread I asked my son (a freshman) if he would run if I paid him. He laughed and said no, and that I was weird. I certainly can't offer thousands, which might make him change his mind.

He is well liked and social in general, but doesn't care to participate in school activities. He'd rather stay home and watch Netflix, or just hang out with friends. Kind of frustrating.

Well, it's not student council season, unless he's a 9th grader. And you didn't make a serious offer. I needed to convince my son the offer was real, it wasn't just BS.

Yes he is in 9th grade. They had a meeting about running last Friday.

Why are you alienating the one poster that doesn't think your crazy? Geez...moving on.

[Anonymous]

Some kids are really motivated by money and some are not. For me, it would have made absolutely no difference.

Obviously OP's kid is motivated mostly by money and OP figured that out. The kid will do well in NYC and DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some kids are really motivated by money and some are not. For me, it would have made absolutely no difference.

Obviously OP's kid is motivated mostly by money and OP figured that out. The kid will do well in NYC and DC.

Not necessarily. There's a threshold that some people are not willing to go above to work for more money. Today, it's the student council, tomorrow, it could be that corner office position, which OP wants her DS to go for, but he's not willing to work harder for it even if it means more money because he doesn't "want" to. He's easily led by money now because he doesn't have much of it.

If my parents had paid me to run for student council, I would've done it, even though I didn't have much desire to. But, at work, I have had the opportunity to advance in my career but I didn't take it, even for more money or prestige, because my heart isn't into climbing that corporate ladder. I do fine monetarily (earn six figures as an individual contributor).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So how are you going to motivate him to do a good job on Student Council since he really didn't want to do it?

I don't even know what a good job would entail. There's obvi social pressure to go to all the meetings, which allow him to steep in the environment of the smartest kids in school. There's also increase status/profile for him amongst teachers and staff. And obviously it helps his college application. I don't see any downside. What'd be really great is if he started dating one of the girls on council.

I call bullshit on this post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Interesting. Based on your thread I asked my son (a freshman) if he would run if I paid him. He laughed and said no, and that I was weird. I certainly can't offer thousands, which might make him change his mind.

He is well liked and social in general, but doesn't care to participate in school activities. He'd rather stay home and watch Netflix, or just hang out with friends. Kind of frustrating.

Well, it's not student council season, unless he's a 9th grader. And you didn't make a serious offer. I needed to convince my son the offer was real, it wasn't just BS.

Yes he is in 9th grade. They had a meeting about running last Friday.

Why are you alienating the one poster that doesn't think your crazy? Geez...moving on.

Sorry, I just scan the comments while at work. A preliminary meeting or a deadline meeting? If it's too late to run your hypothetical isn't valid. If it's not too late, then figure out what makes him tick and make a serious offer.